Mystique
by FearieDancer
Summary: I often wondered how someone could be so amazingly, heart-achingly beautiful...Mystique was Cato's best friend. Then they went to the Academy, and everything changed. A one-shot including unrequited love, spear-throwing and one Mystique Rivers. Cato/OC


I often looked at him. Well, stared, for want of a better word. I often wondered how someone could be so amazingly, heart-achingly beautiful. Many thought that the way he was in training was brutal, psychotic even. I didn't. I thought he was skilled beyond compare, and it just made me gain a little hope that, if he ever was chosen for the Games, he would get out alive. Not that I wished him to get chosen, of course.

We were not allowed romantic relationships while we were in training. We were told that they would make us soft and that if we ever entered the games, we would probably not stop thinking about said relationship, and probably be killed through our own thoughtless actions. It didn't stop people from flirting though. Correction, it didn't stop _Raven _from flirting. She was gorgeous, of course-it seemed as if some of the girls in my District had been genetically engineered to be perfect- and then there was me. Quite tall, green eyes, curly dark brown hair. I felt insignificant next to her and the other girls at the academy. Raven's name suited her amazingly, of course. Glossy black hair, sparklingly blue eyes, perfect white teeth, red lips; Raven was flawless in every single aspect. She was a brilliant fighter as well, with archery being her strong point. The only thing that seemed to be her weakness was that she couldn't aim that accurately with a spear or a knife. However she used this to her advantage.

"Cato," she'd whine, batting her eyelashes, "I can't _quite_ throw perfectly. Can you show me the technique again?"

"Sure." He'd shrug, pick up a spear, and hurl in straight through the head of a target. He'd do this slowly, of course, so that Raven could see everything he was doing. "See, you have to aim with your hand. Don't be afraid of throwing the spear quickly either." He'd explain. Raven wouldn't be listening. She would be watching his muscles contract and detract, and then picking out all of his 'best features'.

"Oh, Cato, _thank you_!" She'd gush. "You're so strong." She smile, seemingly cutely, all the while batting her eyelashes. The next week she'd compliment his eyes, then his hair, then his height, one time even his _nose_, but she soon ran out of 'good features' she moved onto more mundane things, like the shirt he was wearing. If I was the one supplying compliments, I wouldn't have run out of 'good features'. No, I would probably still have some left. Example: I loved the fact that, even though you could barely see his eyelashes, they were still so long that if he looked up they nearly brushed his eyebrows. I loved the way his face took on a mask of fierce concentration when he was practising. I loved the way he smiled, a slightly crooked grin. I loved the way he seemed blind to Raven's attempts at flirting with him. I loved the way that he would sometimes smile and wave at me in the dinner hall. I loved that, if you looked close enough, you could see and array of fine freckles dotting his nose and cheeks lightly. Of course I loved his golden hair, his blue eyes, his straight nose, his height and strength but I loved _everything_ about him, without any exceptions. I loved him.

When I was little, Cato was my best friend. We used to play together all day, every day. This was before we were entered into the Academy, aged ten. I remember when we first met. My mother was taking me out around the District, getting some shopping done, when she bumped into Mrs. Hayden. They chatted for a while, and I peeked shyly around my mother's leg at a small, blonde boy, his hair in a spiky, messy array. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, so I got brave and ventured forward.

"Hi." I whispered to him. "What's your name?"

"Cato!" He grinned proudly, sticking his chest out. "Means wise, Mom told me!"

"My name's Mystique." I lisped quietly. I didn't like my name; I thought it too proud and beautiful for someone like me.

"Mys-what?" Cato asked, puzzled.

"Mys-_tique_!" I said crossly. Another reason why I didn't like my name. It was _way_ too hard to pronounce at the tender age of four.

"Oh. Can I just call you Mys?" He smiled at me.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. "But only if I can call you Cado!" I grinned triumphantly. If he wasn't going to say my name right, I wouldn't say _his_ name right!

"Cado?" Cato wrinkled his nose, and then shrugged. "Sure." I gaped at him. He still wanted to be my friend, even after I'd nicknamed him something ridiculous? I decided that this boy was worth liking.

"Brilliant!" I grinned at him, and we played tag until our mothers decided that they better go.

We remained best friends, our days filled with golden summers and crisp winters, playing together. Sometimes, when we were a little older, we'd go out into the streets at night to look at the stars winking and twinkling above us. He'd hold my hand and say that I should never be scared, as long as he was there. Then we went to the Academy.

Cato changed, seemingly overnight. It was strange, but almost as if his entire brain was consumed by a passion to become the greatest winner the games had ever seen. He was determined to be the best, even if it meant leaving me behind. Not that he ever said that to my face, he wasn't _that_ unkind. He just drifted away from me, until the waves and smiles in the dinner hall were all I got. I'm not sure exactly when I started falling for him, only when I did I fell head first with no safety net. I got _so_ angry when Raven flirted with him. Many people at the Academy knew that I liked him, Raven being one of them, as she was the one that noticed it first. She then promptly told everyone, I suppose so I would be embarrassed. I didn't act it; I just held my head high and acted as if I didn't give a damn. Inside, though, I was scared. Terrified, even. Terrified that Cato would hear and laugh at me for liking him. If he did ever hear about it, he didn't say anything.

It was one day that Raven just pushed it over the edge. I hadn't slept the night before, and I was feeling rather irritable, as it was nearly the end of the day. I wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for a thousand years. Raven flounced in, preparing to train again, and I just glared at her. She did her same: 'Cato, can you help me?' trick and I just rolled my eyes. I was getting boring, even though it still grated on my nerves. Training went the same as normal, and after training the coaches reminded us that we were allowed to stay late afterwards to 'improve'. I rubbed my eyes and vowed that the next day, I would stay later to make up for missed training time. Then, Raven did quite possibly the worst, most irritating thing she has ever done.

"See you tomorrow, Cato!" She smirked, then embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. I stared at Cato and Raven. What was he going to do? Instead of something that I'd hope he would do (shrugging her off, telling her to back off, running away), he hugged her back-albeit a little awkwardly-and said:

"Yeah, sure. See you tomorrow, Raven." I stared at him, shocked. I hadn't thought that he liked Raven; after all, he was blind to her 'flirting' but now I wasn't so sure. My tiredness had abandoned me. I stormed off to the largest after-training room, which was luckily completely empty. I then collected up every throwing weapon I could, as well as a bow and a quiver of arrows. I then proceeded to throw all of the weapons at a human-shaped target, pretending it was Raven. I always used the knives first, then the swords (both double-edged and regular), and then finally the spears. Bam. Raven bled from her right foot. Bam. The left foot. Bam. Her right and ankle. Bam. Her left ankle. Each knife cutting various parts of her legs, moving upwards. I ran out of knives, so I threw the swords instead. Bam. A sword through each of her lungs. Bam. A double-edged sword through her heart. Bam. Each and every sword, be it double-edged or not, pierced a vital organ each time. Finally came the spears. Bam. Through her neck. Bam. Through her head. Bam. Through each of her eyes. I stared at the target, breathing heavily. It was in times like this that I thought that, if Raven was ever entered into the Games, that I would not be too bothered if she died. In fact, I would silently cheer to myself.

"Well, well, well. _Someone's_ been busy!" I whirled around at the sound of a voice, my arm reaching back to grab one the weapons in the target. "Woah, calm down there, Mys. It's just me!" Cato smirked at me crookedly. I grinned and laughed shakily. This was the most Cato had spoken to me in years, and my heart was pounding. I could feel my face flushing as well, but hopefully Cato would pass this off as embarrassment because I jumped when I saw him.

"H-hey." I breathed.

"Hey, Mys. I saw you come in here, and I know I haven't hung out with you in ages, and I just wanted to say hi, and-" Cato trailed off his babbling, ruffling the back of his hair nervously.

"I get. It's cool." I smiled.

"You know, the Games are coming up soon…" Cato grinned; making my heart beat faster again.

"And?" I asked. I was never too bothered by the game. I did think they were incredibly biased towards the Careers group, and I couldn't help but think of the fallen heroes from each reaping.

"Well…This year I'm going to go for it. If I don't get reaped, I'm going to volunteer!" Cato continued, still grinning. I felt the colour drain from my face. I did not doubt that Cato's skill and brute strength would see him through, but what of the small chance that he died?

"Really?" I asked, seemingly non-committal. On the inside, however, I was panicking, wondering if I could dissuade Cato.

"Yeah! I just think that this year's the year to do it, you know? I feel like I could win this year!" I looked at Cato's face, my Cato, who I'd known forever, and I couldn't find it in my heart to tell him not to volunteer.

"I'm sure you'll win, Cat." I smiled at my other nickname for him. "You're amazing, seriously."

"Aw, you've gone and made me blush." He teased. I liked Cato when he was like this, instead of the brutal Neanderthal everyone else thought him to be.

"C'mon, I'm all done here. Want to come over for dinner?" I asked him, starting to take the various weapons from the target.

"Yeah, sure. I'll let my mom know, and then we shall feast!" Cato helped get all the spears out. "My gosh Mys, you got these through pretty hard. You _were_ angry about something, weren't you?"

"Yeah, it's nothing though. I'm all cool now!" I reassured him, slightly amazed at my own strength. The spears had gone about five inches into the dummy. If I was using them against a real person, they would not be able to survive. That scared me a little.

"Okay…I know I haven't exactly been close to you these past few years, but you can talk to me, whenever you want." Cato smiled. I kept my eyes down. I didn't want to smile back, to get my hopes up over something that might not happen.

"Sure." I shrugged noncommittally.

"I mean it." Cato's fingers titled my chin up, so I was looking him full in the face. I blushed and tried to avoid his gaze, but he made me look him in the eyes. "Anytime, Mys. I've been ignoring you, and that's not right. I'm making it up to you now."

"Okay." I returned Cato's smile, finally. "Now, let's go! I don't think my mother would like to know last-minute that we have a guest!" I nudged Cato's arm, and then walked out with him.

The dinner that my mom prepared was delicious, as always, and we had a brilliant time just catching up with Cato about his family and his plans. I still internally shuddered when he said he was going to enter the Games, but I did not show my displeasure.

Cato and I hung out every day after academy. We'd just talk for hours, then I'd go to his house, or he'd go to mine, like we used to. Raven still flirted with him, but now it didn't bother me. I still didn't know whether he knew that I liked him; I didn't know if I _wanted_ him to know! However, occasionally, as we were walking along he would sling his arm around my shoulders, or, as we were talking, he would entwine his fingers through mine. We hugged, of course, but it was little things like that that made me wonder about him. Sometimes, he would catch me looking at him, and I would turn away, pink-cheeked. I sometimes looked at him out the corners of my eyes, and he would always smile a little triumphantly.

It then came to the fateful day of the reaping. I was incredibly nervous, as was everyone else, only for it was not the anticipation of being chosen-I feared for Cato's life. He would be reaped, or he would volunteer. Either way, there was a chance that he could die.

The capitol person who represented our District came up to the stage. They showed the video about why the Hunger Games were created, and he said a few words. I was never interested by this. Of course the film was interesting, but it always made me question the sanity of President Snow. Who quashes a rebellion, in which thousands are killed, with a game, in which (in time) _thousands will be killed_? I knew it was to exert his power over the Districts, but it still perplexed me. Then came the reaping.

"We shall start with the girls…." The capitol person had and annoying habit of trailing the's' in words on really long. "Clove Winchester!" Everyone cheered and a girl, a little younger than me with straight, dark hair ran up to the stage.

"And now for the boys…Jayden Greene!" I looked at Jayden, standing awkwardly. He began to make his way up to the stage, when Cato's voice rang out across the silent place.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" He yelled. He was the escorted up to the stage, and taken away. My heart dropped, and tears filled my eyes. I then began praying, hoping and wishing that Cato would not get killed, and that they'd let me see him.

A few hours later, a peacekeeper came to our house and told me that Cato had requested me to go and see him, to say goodbye. I was taken to the Justice building, and sent into the room where Cato was. I ran up to him and hugged him, tears filling my eyes and rolling down my cheeks once more.

"Cato…" I whispered, my voice cracking.

"Hey, Mys, it's okay. Don't cry." Cato talked to me as one would talk to a frightened toddler. " Shh. It's okay." He wiped my tears off my cheeks, and I just gazed at his face, my lips trembling.

"Cato. Cato, I didn't tell you and now I feel bad, but-" I didn't speak anymore, but I reached up and kissed him softly. It was not anything big, just me trying to show him how I felt. Then, he responded, and it felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. He kissed me fiercely for a few moments more, and then broke off, much to my dismay. I looked at him, puzzled.

"How long has that been going on for?" Cato asked, breathing heavier than normal.

"A few years." I shrugged.

"Wow. Well, for me it's kind of….Yeah. A couple of years too. I just got nervous around you, so I just ran away. It seemed to be the easiest option at the time…" Cato explained.

"It's okay." I smiled. Cato kissed me again, tenderly, and I felt like I was flying.

"Cato." I whispered. "Try not to die."

"I won't, Mys. I'll win. For you, I'll win." This was too much for me, and I started crying again. "No. No crying, Mys. I don't like it when you cry."

"I'm sorry." I sobbed. "I just can't help it…You're leaving me and you might not come back…" the last part choked me, so it came out broken.

"No, Mys. I promise you, I'll come back. I love you, Mys. I'll be champion, and then we'll live in the victor's village." Cato reassured me.

"Okay. One last thing." I kissed him again, this time as a way of saying goodbye. It was soft and sweet, and yet full of sadness. "I love you too."

"I know." Cato grinned, winking at me. A guard came in and told me that I was to leave. I smiled and Cato again, hugged him, and then left. And, although Cato told me not to cry, I can't seem to help a few stray tears from falling.

I watch the parade of the Tributes, and the Tributes from our District are wearing Roman-style gladiator costumes, just like always. The other tributes are wearing pretty much the same thing as every year-District 1 in fancy, feathered and jewelled costumes, District 3 in silver, metal costumes, District 4 in blue gowns with elaborate headdresses, District 5 in silver with large, glittering disks around their faces, District 6 in gold with crescent moon-shaped headdresses, District 7 in white with headdresses that appear to be made of white card, cleverly folded, District 8 in patterned clothes in clashing colours with large, flowered hats on their heads, District 9 in high-necked gowns with various metal buttons sewn onto them, District 10 in cowboy outfits, complete with hats, and District 11 in basic clothes with dungaree-type aprons over them, and sliver circlets. The only surprise is District 12, who come in, on fire. Literally. It is beautiful, and the two tributes hold hands, grinning and waving. They are probably the only tributes that don't look slightly ridiculous. They have stolen the show from everyone else, and everyone cannot wait to find out more about them.

Soon, it is time for the interviews with the Tributes. Cato got a 10, nearly the highest score except a girl from District 12 got an 11. This surprised me, but she's Katniss, the Girl on Fire, the main one this year. I don't pay much attention to the television screen except for when Cato's there, and then I listen intently. It's the only time I can see him.

He's dressed in a suit, and he looks amazingly, breathtakingly wonderful. I can half feel myself blushing as he looks directly into the camera. He winks and blows a kiss, and I could swear that it was meant for me. Caesar Flickerman's hair is dyed blue this year, and he's wearing a glittery blue suit. He gives a speech before he asks Cato questions, and then it's all about his training and his techniques and how strong he is. Then, Flickerman takes me by surprise.

"So, I have to ask you this, Cato…You're a strong, handsome young lad, is there a little lady back home?" Caesar grins widely at Cato.

"Well, funny you should ask that, but yes, there is. But," his voice drops to a theatrical whisper. "It's a secret!"

"Ahh, a secret romance!" Caesar Flickerman's smile gets wider, if that's even possible. "She's got protective parents, hmm?"

"Yeah, something like that." Cato says. There is no way that he would reveal that we can't have relationships in the Academy.

"So, is she pretty?" Caesar asks, and I blush, wondering what Cato will say.

"She's more than that…She's beautiful. Perfect even. Her hair, her eyes, everything. She's a brilliant fighter as well." Cato explains, and I turn bright red and squeal slightly. I can't believe that Cato has said all those things about me.

"Well, she _does_ seem perfect, doesn't she, folks?" a round of applause, a few whistles and a lot of yelling meets Caesar's question. "Well, you know Cato, you win this thing, and then you and your girlfriend get to be together. Then, in a few years, you can get married in the Capitol, alright?" Caesar winks, and Cato holds his hand out.

"Seems like a deal!" Cato grins. I smile too, just staring at Cato's face until he's replaced by the District 3 girl. I watch the rest of the interviews, and gasp at Peeta, the District 12 boy, saying that he loves Katniss, the Girl on Fire. It seems like Cato and my situation, but on a far, far bigger scale, as one of them will have to die. Maybe even both. As bad as it sounds, if it _is_ both of them, it means that Cato will survive. Hopefully.

The next day, there is a huge crowd gathered around Raven. She has told everyone that, before he went off to the games, Cato promised her that he'd win for her, and how the girl is her. I scoff and roll my eyes. I won't tell anyone that I am 'the perfect girl' because one, no-one will believe me, and two, I want to laugh at Raven if Cato comes back saying he's won for me. I can't think of what will happen if he doesn't come back, it hurts too much, so instead I think of what I'll say, what we'll do. It's stupid because I know I'll end up broken if he dies, but it's the best I can do. There is a little voice at the back of my head that says: _You know, he might die_ but I quell it with thoughts of Cato's tactics, strength and skill. That normally shuts it up while I'm in training but when I'm lying in bed, it will start again, and I'll have to stop myself thinking that way before I cry.

Soon, the games are about to start. Each of the Tributes stand on podiums, watching a neon sign counting down until they can move without being blasted sky-high. Then, it's a bloodbath. Everyone trying to get the goods at the Cornucopia and everyone trying to kill those who get the things before them. Two tributes grab bags and run. Katniss, I think, has a knife thrown at her by Clove. It is blocked by her backpack, and she runs. I spot Cato throwing people to the ground and stabbing them with the knives and swords he has found. I feel proud as he has managed to not die so far, but also sickened by the amount of killing he has done. Soon, only he and the few that the Careers have picked up on are left. Twelve tributes remain.

I watch the Games religiously after training, every day, and I only finish when I am sure that Cato is asleep and safe. I glower at Glimmer, the District 1 girl for flirting with him, but I know that he's thinking of me. I don't know how I do, but I just do. It made me feel sick, the way he mocked the girl he killed at first, and I feel sorry for Peeta, the boy who loves Katniss because of the way they treat him. It's not Cato out there, though, it is his mindset. There is my Cato, the sweet, strong one, and then there is Training Cato, the Neanderthal that everyone admires but is slightly scared of. I know the difference. He has Katniss cornered up a tree. I wince when he falls down from a branch when it snaps. Even if I dislike Training Cato, I still love him, and I want him to be safe. They all fall asleep with the promise that they'll wait until Katniss _has_ to come down from the tree. They don't know that high above them, there is Rue and a tracker jacker nest. A very big tracker jacker nest. Katniss saws the branch in half, and it explodes, right next to Glimmer and Cato. Glimmer panics, and is soon covered in the genetically mutated wasps. Cato yells and runs away, the rest of his team following. However, Glimmer has fallen. She is soon dead from the amount of venom injected into her. Peeta runs back and tells Katniss to run, and Cato realises this. They fight and Cato cuts Peeta's leg pretty badly, and then leaves him to die. I am shocked, of course, but I have to keep reminding myself that it was not the real Cato that did that, it was the other part of him.

The Careers soon come across the boy from District 3, and let him join their group, as he manages to re-wire the mines near the Cornucopia. They pile up all the supplies, and wait. Wait until one of the Tributes stupid enough to try and steal from them comes. This plan is ruined however, when they see smoke rising from the trees. They don't know that Rue and Katniss set this off, but I do. I want to warn Cato not to go, to stay, but there is no way to do that. They leave, but make the District 3 boy stay to make sure no-one gets the supplies. A girl, from District Five, seems to have stalked them and found out about the mines. She does a complicated routine across the ground, steals some food, and then runs off. The cameras pan around, and I gasp as I spot Katniss in a bush, ready to shoot. She fires three arrows, splitting a bag of apples which set off all of the mines, exploding the supplies. Katniss is thrown back, and the District 3 boy looks worried. The other Careers must have heard the explosion, as they appears within a few minutes. Cato's face is a mask of rage, and he yells at the boy before snapping his neck with his bare hands. I have my eyes covered for this, but I can still hear the tell-tale, sickening snap. The boy falls to the floor, dead, and Cato still shakes with rage. Clove consoles him by telling him that the person who exploded everything is probably dead by now. Cato calms down, but Clove tiptoes around him, anxious in case she sets him off. An announcement is made that, if both Tributes of the same District survive, they will both win. This gives me fresh hope, as Clove and Cato make a great team, with her sword-throwing skills and his strength and sword-fighting skills.

The next day, a feast is ordered. There is something that each set of Tributes need desperately, and it will be waiting for them by the Cornucopia. Clove waits there, ready to attack those who go there. She and Cato have made a plan that he will scout around for any of the other Tributes. There are only six Tributes left, and any killed will turn the odds significantly in their favour. The girl from District 5 swoops in, grabs her bag and runs, too quick for them to notice. Katniss soon runs in as well, but is taken down by Clove, who tries to stab her multiple times.

"Where's lover boy?" she breathes nastily. "We killed Rue, we killed Rue, and now we're gonna kill you!" Clove grins sadistically, but is yanked back by her hair, yelping.

"You killed Rue?" Thresh, the boy from District 11 yells.

"No, no!" Clove pleads, pressed against the Cornucopia by her throat.

"Don't lie!" roars Thresh, banging her against the hard metal. "I heard you! You said you killed her!"

"Cato! Cato!" Clove yells, to no avail. Thresh keeps banging Clove against the Cornucopia until she is dead, and then he drops her. He looks directly at Katniss. "This isn't for you, Girl on Fire, but for the little girl. For Rue." He then grabs his and Cato's bags and runs away, as does Katniss. Cato must have heard Clove's screams, as he sees her by the Cornucopia, her eyes glazed over. He screams then, an awful, otherworldly scream of anguish. It cuts me to the core and I want nothing more than to be able to hold him. Cato shakes his head, and then takes Clove's bag. He then takes off, presumably to kill Thresh in revenge.

It is the last day of the Games. I refuse to get completely hopeful, but it does not stop the butterflies from filling my stomach at the thought that Cato could come back alive. Night falls unusually quickly, and I get the most awful sense of foreboding. The night is still, and silent, until the largest, scariest wolf-dogs I have ever seen erupt from seemingly nowhere. They are all different colours, and have different eyes. Some black, some brown, some red and some what can only be described as blonde. Then it hits me. These mutations have been created using the dead Tribute's DNA. They are to put the Tributes off, to scare them. I feel sick almost as soon as I realise this, and start praying for Cato's life. He is dressed in some sort of armour which, when shot with one of Katniss' arrows, deflects it. All of the Tributes are running towards the Cornucopia, trying to get out of reach of the mutations. Peeta and Katniss are the first ones up there, then Cato. Cato immediately jumps on Peeta, trying to knock him off the Cornucopia. Peeta puts up a good fight, but Cato soon has him in a death grip. Katniss knocks an arrow to her bow, and Cato smiles a little madly.

"Go ahead." He says. "Shoot. You'll be the final victor, you'll win. I'm meant to win, though. That's all I'm good for, isn't it? All I've been trained for…I've been trained since I was ten, you know. I wanted this, I wanted it all. That's it. I promised someone I'd win for them, that's how sure I was. But you get here, and nothing is the same. Nothing. The things you see and the things you do, they change you. District 2 isn't all everyone thinks it is. We're not allowed to have relationships, because it will make us weak. We're not allowed to do pretty much anything except for train. You get into a mindset where you think that that's all that matters. Winning. I even had a split-personality thing. There'd be me, and there'd be Cato, the victor. I didn't care, though. It meant I'd do better. But then…Then she came along, and I doubted it. I doubted it all, but I said I win for her, I promised…And now I'm gonna die. So go ahead, Girl on Fire. Shoot." Cato smiles again, and tears have already started running down my cheeks. I'm happy that I got to see a little of whom Cato really is before he died. He mentioned me, as well. Then Katniss shoots his hand, and Peeta pushes him off the Cornucopia. I gasp, and I can hear the mutations mauling him, his pain-filled screams. Katniss swiftly shoots him in the head, and dawn breaks. I don't care though, I don't care what happens now. I scream, and I run outside, out to where Cato and I used hang out. I let everything out then. I sob noisily, each racking cry shaking my very soul. It feels like my heart is splitting in two, like part of me has just died when Cato did. I guess that's the other reason why they don't let us have relationships while we're in the Academy. Because once they die in the Games, it hurts like you've been killed with them.

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Hope you liked it! ~FearieDancer


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